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Last week we shared our favorite shaving products for the dudes. This week is all about the ladies. The needs are a little different, and we’ve got some great recommendations for healthy, smooth, and soft skin without harmful products!

First things first, the razor. In the past the ladies of Y&L have tested out every drug-store razor ever made. We loved the Schick Intuition with it’s conditioning head, but alas it is both pricey and full of not friendly chemicals. We suggest opting for a razor that is easily recycled, and even made of recycled materials. We like Preserve’s Triple Blade Razor—it is made from 100% recycled materials, and is completely recyclable when you are done with it. The only drawback to this razor is that it doesn’t have much in the way of a conditioning strip, and it definitely doesn’t have bells or whistles.

Once you’ve selected a razor, it’s time to swap out that fake shave gel in a can for some quality shave cream or soap. I know shaving soap doesn’t sound as luxurious as shaving gel or cream, but that’s because you’ve never used a real SHAVING soap. A great shaving soap will have ingredients like Kaolin or Bentonite Clay that helps the razor glide smoothly across your legs, preventing unsightly razor burn. Women’s shave soap generally has more moisturizers added. In particular we are coveting the totally organic Women’s Shave Soap from Akava (available here on Etsy), made with primarily fair trade oils and moisturizers. The scent is fresh, and the price is right at $4 a bar. If you feel like splurging the Pomegranate Shave Soap from Smith Family Soap Works would make a nice gift to yourself or a friend :). This soap smells yummy and is $12/jar of soap on Etsy. This soap uses olive oil to give a great lather and prevent razor burn.

After you lather up and shave, it’s time to moisturize! With cool and dry winter weather we like to double up our moisturizing efforts. We start first by applying a body oil before toweling off. You can check out our recipe to make your own here, or if you prefer to purchase your moisturizing oil we love the Shea Butter Body Oil from Brown Butter Beauty! It is a little pricey at $15/ 8 fl. oz on Etsy, but you can splurge once in a while. After moisturizing with body oil, lightly towel off excess moisture and apply your favorite lotion. Lately we’ve been using EO’s Coconut & Vanilla & Tangerine Body Lotion (available at Whole Foods or other natural food stores) for a lighter weight moisturizer. If you need serious heavy duty moisture try Everyday Shea Super Hydrating Lotion in Coconut (also available at Whole Foods or other natural food stores!

One of the great things about all these products is that they are free of harmful substances. There is a debate about the use of fragrance and essential oils. If you are pregnant, it is best to avoid using essential oils, but otherwise you are good to go! Oh and did we mention that those handmade soaps and the Preserve razor are great ways to be a conscious consumer—support small businesses and big businesses with green practices!

On days that you don’t shave try using our DIY sugar scrub recipe to keep skin soft and refreshed. But it’s not ideal to scrub right after shaving. This can lead to irritated and broken skin—OUCH! Collecting up these products would make a sweet body care basket for any natural beauty!

What shaving and moisturizing products to you use to keep your legs soft and smooth? Would you consider using a shave bar instead of gel?

With Thanksgiving behind us, we barely have a moment to breathe until the next round of cool weather holidays. So over the next few weeks we will share some gift-giving ideas for all the people in your life. Let’s start today with the guy in your life. This could be your husband, your boyfriend, your brother, your grandpa, your uncle, or your best friend… you get the picture :). We focus a lot on helping the ladies look good at Y&L, but this gift idea will have the man in your life looking classy—why not give him an old school shaving set. There has been a resurgence lately in using straight blade, barbershop style razors—and even if you don’t opt for the razor you can get him a shaving mug, brush, and bar style soap that he could use with his favorite multi-blade gillette! Depending on whether you are including a razor, there are about 4 things you would consider including in an old school shaving kit for your guy. And for something as quirky as this we love Etsy!

1. The shaving bowl or mug. We like the ceramic option, lidded is a great option but not necessary. We also love when there is a place on the bowl to store the brush—it helps keep the bathroom tidy and prevents mold by allowing his shaving brush to dry out. We love this adorable shaving mug set from Miri Hardy Pottery on Etsy. This set includes soap, and a badger-hair brush as well.

Blue Mustache Shave Set – $78 from Miri Hardy Pottery on Etsy

But this shaving mug is pretty awesome too!

Mustache Shaving Mug Set – $32 from Vintage Parlor Mens on Etsy

2. The shaving brush. Badger hair is supposed to be the ideal shaving brush, but we prefer something a little less cruel. We think it’s best to opt for a brush made of synthetic materials and leave all the furry creatures alone. However several really great shaving sets on Etsy include badger hair shaving brushes and would make great gifts. If you are looking to splurge on a shaving brush the Bocote Wood Shaving Brush from PC Woodcraft & Pens is a great option. Of course there are a lot of more affordable options you can find online too!

3. The shaving soap. Bentonite clay is a great ingredient to look for in shaving soap. It helps prevent razor burn and also helps remove impurities from the skin. We love this manly patchouli soap with both activated charcoal and bentonite clay from the shop Bambu on Etsy!

4. The after-shave.Whether you go for an astringent or a lotion we’ve got a few great suggestions for gifting to the man in your life this christmas. Wild Man After Shave created by Wild Rose Herbs in Oregon is great if your guy is more rugged (or wishes he was).

5. The razor. There are a lot of options at a variety of price points for straight edge razors. The Merkur Model 180 straight edge safety razor is affordable, fairly easy to use, and durable.

Merkur Model 180 Straight Edge Razor – $32.90 on Amazon

The Chrome Heavyweight razor from the Art of shaving is a balance of beauty, quality, and price as well. It’s a little more expensive than the Merkur but will definitely be impressive for any shave enthusiasts.

The Heavyweight Safety Razor in Chrome – $60 from The Art of Shaving

What are you thinking of giving the special guy in your life? We’d love to hear your ideas, and to know who we should do a gift guide for next!